


The Hot Scholar and I

by wonsteapot



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 03:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15039341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonsteapot/pseuds/wonsteapot
Summary: Usually, he’d have let any negative comment slide past him, like water off a duck’s back. But today’s been one of those days, starting from his dead alarm clock, and now this pompous (albeit good-looking) researcher from bloody Oxford has the nerve to call him absentminded and question his work ethic?Hell, no!Soonyoung thinks Wonwoo's a stuck up git. Wonwoo thinks Soonyoung's a bit of an idiot. Nothing about this project is smooth-sailing.





	The Hot Scholar and I

**Author's Note:**

> hello all! it's been a while since i posted something. real life's been a bit too stressful, but my love for snwu has not faded, so here i am with another silly little fic. enjoy!

  
  


He’s late. 

Eleven minutes late to be exact, and yet here he is, stuck behind a cyclist who’s meandering down the road as if the moron hasn’t got a care in the world, unlike the queue of cars creeping at a snail’s pace behind him. 

Twelve minutes. 

“Fuck this!” he curses loudly, reaching boiling point. With a glance at his mirrors and a quick assessment of the traffic, Soonyoung makes a reckless decision to overtake the jolly cyclist, revving his car and almost speeding into the way of an oncoming car in his stubborn determination, veering back into his lane just seconds away from a collision amidst the loud cacophony of horns beeping angrily at him. Heart thumping erratically, he checks the rearview mirror, a sense of smug satisfaction settling in his bones at the sight of the cyclist, now behind him, still with a long trail of frustrated motorists trailing after him. 

Obstacle overcome, Soonyoung spends the next few minutes breaking every speed limit on his way to the university building, hastily pulling into a parking space and sprinting into the Modern Languages department, nearly mowing down an elderly man coming down the steps in his hurry to get to the meeting. 

By the time he stumbles through the door of the conference room at the end of a long corridor on the fifth floor, his fringe is plastered to his forehead in a sweaty mess. 

Five pairs of eyes turn to him, almost in sync, and Soonyoung spends a moment wishing for invisibility under the scrutiny before his supervisor, Professor Blake, breaks the hush that’s fallen over the room with a cheerful, “Ah, Soonyoung, good morning! Come in, come in, have a seat.”

Waving nervously at everyone in greeting, he plops into the seat next to a dignified-looking lady dressed in a smart suit. In his bright yellow t-shirt and faded jeans he feels completely out of place, and he shoots his supervisor a betrayed look (“Oh, it’s just going to be an informal thing, a quick meet-and-greet before we start the project,” Professor Blake had said when Soonyoung asked him about it a few days ago). 

_Informal, my ass_ , he thinks grumpily, eyeing all the smartly dressed people in the room, sans him. 

And by the frowns on everyone’s faces, he’s not making a great first impression. 

He inwardly curses his stupid temperamental alarm clock that decided to die on him today of all days. 

“Everyone, this is Soonyoung Kwon, one of our best alumni and a keen researcher.” Professor Blake grins warmly at him. “We’ve worked on a few projects together and while he invariably always runs late to meetings, he’d never behind with deadlines.”

This earns a few chuckles from rest of the group and Soonyoung shrinks in his seat, ears burning a bright red. Trust his mentor to compliment and insult him in the same breath. 

To add to his mortification, Professor Blake makes everyone do a round of introductions just for his benefit - Professor Yerim Choi and her master’s student Jongin Kim from Konkuk University, Rob Clark, one of Professor Blake’s current students, and Wonwoo Jeon, a PhD student from Oxford writing his thesis on gender discrimination in South Korean politics. Soonyoung finds his eyes lingering on the latter long after his brief and quiet introduction, a bit discomfited by the guy’s icy manner and sharp gaze behind wiry glasses, which had been a bit overwhelming when it was trained on Soonyoung just minutes ago. He hadn’t smiled back despite Soonyoung offering him a tentative smile, leaving him feeling a bit stupid. 

The meeting starts once they’re connected with their American colleagues via a video call and they spend a good hour discussing the ins and outs of their new project examining gender inequality in the South Korean workforce. Professor Choi and her team in Seoul would lead the groundwork and interviews in South Korea, while their overseas counterparts would do the bulk of the literature search and write-up. Professor Blake happily volunteers Soonyoung to lead the British team, and he bristles slightly when Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at this. Once everyone’s roles are decided, they wrap up the meeting and bid their goodbyes to the South Koreans. 

When Rob makes the suggestion to have a chat and plan their workload over coffee, he eagerly agrees, brain crying out for caffeine by then, especially since he’d not managed to down his usual cup of coffee before he ran out of his flat in the morning. But before he could follow the other two to the lift, Professor Blake asks him to his office for a “quick word” and Soonyoung follows reluctantly, agreeing to meet the guys in the café downstairs afterwards.

“So,” says the older man, a knowing smirk spreading across his face as he observes Soonyoung across the desk. He sighs heavily, knowing already he’d regret whatever’s going to come out of his eccentric supervisor’s mouth. “We have a rather interesting team this time, wouldn’t you say?” This is followed by a cheeky waggle of bushy eyebrows. 

“Don’t we always?” Soonyoung avoids eye contact, not wanting to encourage the other man. He has a pretty good idea where this is going. 

“Yes, yes, _but_ ,” Professor Blake leans forward eagerly, eyes alight with mischief, “that Mr Jeon is a rather striking fellow, isn’t he? Brilliant mind, _awfully_ good-looking. From quite a wealthy family too, I’ve heard.”

To say that his relationship with Professor Blake (“You seriously need to start calling me John,” the professor had complained three years ago. “You’ve not been my student for over two years.” Soonyoung had ignored him, knowing full well it would annoy the hell out of the older man) is unconventional and a bit more reminiscent of the bond shared between the fun uncle and unamused nephew would be an understatement, and something that had grated on the nerves of most of his course mates when he’d been a student attending Professor Blake’s Korean History classes. He’s not entirely sure how it happened, but he suspects it started off with him making a sarcastic remark during one of the lectures in a sleep-deprived state, which had been met with an equally patronising comment by the lecturer, and things had escalated from then on. Of course, it’s also largely down to Professor Blake having the mentality of a twelve-year-old despite being in his late forties. 

“You sound like a creepy old pervert right now,” Soonyoung points out calmly. 

Professor Blake waves a dismissive hand, unperturbed. “First of all, I’m not old, and second of all, I’m only screening potentials for you.” He smiles fondly at the picture frame on desk, the one with a picture of his ten-year old twins and wife. “I just want you to find your own Brenda and have a million kids soon,” he says emphatically, shoving the picture in Soonyoung’s face to drill in his point. “As your mentor, it’s my prerogative.”

With a roll of his eyes, Soonyoung starts making his way out of the office. “No, it’s really not. You’re just weird.” He gives the professor a stern look when he opens his mouth to protest. “If you don’t let this go, I’ll tell Brenda about the time you binned her home-cooked lasagna and bought a sandwich for lunch instead.”

He leaves the office amidst splutters of outrage, snorting at the other’s theatrics. 

  
  


***

  
  


He finds the others tucked around one of the corner tables at the local _Costa_. Making a beeline to the counter, he places an order for an iced latte and spends the few minutes it takes the barista to prepare his coffee discreetly observing his new colleagues out of the corner of his eye. Rob’s enthusiastically chatting away, arms flailing around almost knocking over the drinks on the table, despite the aura of disinterest emanating from his older companion. Wonwoo wisely lifts his coffee mug away from the table, blowing on the steam before taking a careful sip, eyes roaming around the cafe before landing firmly on Soonyoung. Startled, he jerks his head away, hastily focusing his attention on the barista making his drink. 

“Soonyoung!” Rob greets him cheerily when he finally slides into the empty seat at the table. “I was just telling Wonwoo about the time you had your fly open when you gave us that lecture on the Joseon Dynasty.”

He chokes on his coffee, coughing and spluttering while Wonwoo smirks at him over the rim of his mug. “W-what? Why would you tell him _that_?”

Rob gives him a concerned look, leaning over to thump on his back helpfully. “Well, Wonwoo suggested the best way for us to break the ice would be to share each other’s embarrassing stories.”

He shoots an incredulous look at the culprit. “Oh yeah? What’s your story then?”

Wonwoo shrugs. “I don’t do embarrassing things.”

Soonyoung narrows his eyes, a flicker of annoyance creeping in. “This works out well for you then, huh?”

“Very,” comes his smug reply and Soonyoung clenches his jaw, resisting the urge to upend the coffee in the other’s lap. 

Rob looks between them uncertainly. “So, Oxford, huh?” 

Wonwoo blinks at him, looking a bit surprised by the non-sequitur. “Yeah. What about it?”

“No, it’s just that, you must be very clever to be doing a doctorate in Oxford.” Rob looks a bit awestruck and it makes Wonwoo puff up a little despite his attempts to look disinterested. “I thought of going to Oxford myself, but in the end, I didn’t think my grades were good enough.”

Soonyoung huffs. “Oxbridge are _way_ overrated. It’s basically their reputation that makes them such a big deal.” He ignores the way Wonwoo stares at him. “There are a lot of universities leagues above them but are just easily dismissed because they’re not as famous around the world.”

“You’re probably right,” says Wonwoo, catching him by surprise. He hadn’t expected agreement. “But at the end of the day, the reputation certainly helps when you’re applying for jobs.” 

Sadly, Soonyoung can’t argue with that, so he grumpily sucks on his straw and tunes out the rest of the conversation. Job applications are a sore spot with him, having failed to secure a permanent job despite trying steadfastly for the past five years. His current arrangement with his alma mater pays the bills, but since it is only on a freelance basis and depends on the goodwill of Professor Blake, it doesn’t ease any of his anxiety when it comes to the security of his livelihood. He’s just hoping the university would miraculously offer him a full-time job if he marks enough of a place for himself within the languages department. 

“Are you always this quiet?”

A light touch to his hand breaks him out of his gloomy wonderings. 

Wonwoo is looking at him strangely, and he realises belatedly that it’s his hand that had made the contact. Rob’s nowhere to be found, the seat across from Soonyoung empty. 

“Where’s Rob?” he asks in lieu of an answer. 

“Toilet,” Wonwoo says, leaning back in his seat and frowning at him. “I sure hope your attention span’s better than what I’ve observed so far. I have pretty high standards when I’m working on a project and I expect my colleagues to keep up with the workload and show a certain level of competence.”

“So do I,” Soonyoung grits out, offended. “I don’t think you know me well enough to make any judgements yet.”

“I thought the purpose of us getting coffee was for us to get to know each other.” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “So far, all I know about you is that you hate Oxbridge and that you’re absentminded.”

Usually, he’s a pretty easygoing guy, quick to make friends and always up for a laugh. Usually, he’d have let any negative comment slide past him, like water off a duck’s back. But today’s been one of those days, starting from his dead alarm clock, and now this pompous (albeit good-looking) researcher from bloody Oxford has the nerve to call him absentminded and question his work ethic? _Hell, no!_

“I think the less we know about each other, the better,” he snaps, standing up abruptly and nearly toppling his chair backwards. Wonwoo watches him, face a mask of unnerving calmness that only adds to his frustration. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at the office.”

As he’s leaving, he hears Rob’s voice ask, “Where’s he going?”

He makes sure to slam the door shut on his way out, the resulting racket only slightly lifting his mood. 

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 18.13)**  
O.M.G.  
im stuck with such an asshole for the new project  
hElp!

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.14)**  
:(( that sucks !!  
boy? girl?

 **me: (sent 18.14)**  
guy  
smug bastard  
think hes the greatest thing since sliced bread just coz hes from oxford uni

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.16)**  
Me thinks your ego has been threatened

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.16)**  
ouch! kwannie, don’t kick the man while he’s down

 **me: (sent 18.18)**  
T_T T__T T_T  
soooooo meeeaannn!

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.19)**  
Sorry  
Also not sorry, because I know I’m right

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.19)**  
well you have my sympathies !!

 **me: (sent 18.20)**  
ur my only friend seokminnie T_T_T 

**boo-tylicious: (sent 18.20)**  
Is he hot?

 **me: (sent 18.22)**  
hows that relevant

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.22)**  
So he’s hot, lol!

 **me: (sent 18.23)**  
NO hEs NOT!

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.24)**  
oh ooooooh !!!  
this is gonna be good

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.24)**  
Tune in tomorrow at the same time for the next episode of this K-drama

 **me: (sent 18.25)**  
i have no friends  
(-.- )

  
  


***

  
  


He’s greeted by a bright, toothy grin courtesy of Rob when he strolls into the small computer room they use as an office the next day, ten minutes late. He smiles back, determined to adopt a more positive attitude and start over, willing to give his new colleague another chance, just to make the project more bearable for him. Endless hours of hunting and scrolling the internet for research papers can become rather dry if one didn’t have a team to fall back on for some companionship and fun, and while Rob is a breath of fresh air and sometimes a bit _too_ chatty, he’s also the one team member who’s going to be away most of the time, since he’s still enrolled in his undergraduate program and hence need to attend daily lectures and prepare for exams. 

Which would leave him with only Wonwoo for company most of the time. 

Joy, oh joy. 

Said man is already poring over search results on one of the computers, face very close to the screen and mouth pressed in a firm line of concentration. He’s dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a plaid shirt today, far from his smart button-down and tie combo from yesterday, and it makes him look years younger. He barely spares him a glance when Soonyoung takes a seat next to Rob, but he does say, “You’re late,” monotonously. 

Muscles tensing immediately, Soonyoung spares a few minutes to take some deep breaths before replying. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave a bit later to make up for it,” he says with a wide grin. 

Wonwoo grunts, attention still on the computer screen. 

Trying not to let his dismissive attitude dampen his mood, Soonyoung quickly dives into work, trawling through a database with the search terms agreed between them. He keeps a steady back-and-forth with the undergrad student, happy to chat mindlessly while scanning through long lists of abstracts. Wonwoo stays silent for the most part, only giving one-word answers to the questions Rob directs at him. After a few failed attempts at engaging Wonwoo in any chatter, the student gives up, shrugging sheepishly at Soonyoung before heading off to one of his classes.

The room falls silent once the door shuts behind the younger boy, only the sound of Wonwoo’s rapid-fire typing breaking the silence. 

After a good twenty minutes of it, Soonyoung sighs loudly, unable to tolerate the cold tension between them. 

“You could _try_ and be a bit nicer to the kid,” he mutters lowly. “He’s only trying to be friendly.”

The steady clacking comes to a sudden stop. “What?”

Soonyoung turns to face the other man, mouth downturned. “It wouldn’t kill you to have a conversation with us.”

Wonwoo squints at him, looking a bit puzzled. “But I did. I answered his questions.”

“That’s not a conversation.”

Wonwoo continues to stare at him blankly, so much so he starts to feel a bit uncomfortable under the unwavering gaze. After a while, Wonwoo turns back to the computer screen wordlessly. Exasperated, Soonyoung glowers at him for a few minutes, wondering if he should just dismiss Wonwoo as a hopeless case. The man certainly is not presenting himself as someone who’s open to fostering working relations, closed off and stiff in demeanour. 

When his stomach starts rumbling, he doesn’t bother inviting Wonwoo along for lunch. He grabs a quick bite at the _Subway_ downstairs, loitering outside the store for a good half hour before shuffling back to the office, dreading the thought of having to sit through more of the overbearing silence. To his surprise, he walks through the door to the sight of Wonwoo chucking over a muffin while Rob excitedly chatters next to him, each with a coffee in hand. Blinking rapidly, he gawks at the genuine smile lighting up Wonwoo’s face, eyes disappearing into perfect crescents and nose crinkling cutely. It’s a massive transformation from his usual expressionless face, and it immediately endears him to Soonyoung, which is a bit disturbing, because he’s still an asshole and Soonyoung should really not be swayed just because the man has an adorable smile. 

“Oh, Soonyoung!” Rob stops mid-ramble when he notices him still staring at them in dumbfounded silence. “I brought us coffee, and snacks!”

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” he manages to say, still a bit disconcerted by the scene greeting him. Wonwoo’s smile fades rather quickly at the sight of him. 

Rob offers him a blueberry muffin when he takes his seat. “We were just talking about K-pop. Can you believe Wonwoo actually went all the way to Seoul to attend one of IU’s fan-meetings?”

There are several things in that sentence that doesn’t comfortably sit with the image he’s concocted in his mind for the PhD student. First of all, he would have had to have engaged in a conversation with Rob for him to stumble across that juicy tidbit, secondly, Wonwoo seems far too uptight to even listen to music, much less K-pop, and lastly, _what the hell he’s a freaking fanboy?!_

Some of his disbelief must have reflected on his face, because Wonwoo’s lips draw into a thin line and his eyes narrow. “What?” he asks. 

“What?” Soonyoung echoes, lips curling in amusement at the way Wonwoo’s face slowly turns red. 

“What’s with that look?” he scowls, crossing his arms defensively. 

Soonyoung stifles a laugh while Rob whips his head back and forth between them, as if watching a rather tense game of tennis. “There’s no look. I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all.”

The other man huffs indignantly. “You don’t know me well enough to be surprised.”

“Right back at ya.”

He laughs at Wonwoo’s stumped expression, satisfied by his win this time. 

  
  


***

  
  


**Sunshine: (sent 21.04)**  
how’s the annoying but hot workmate ?!

 **me: (sent 21.04)**  
Go Away

 **Sunshine: (sent 21.05)**  
oh come on soon-soon  
don’t be mad

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 21.06)**  
He’s deflecting  
He’s probably already planned a future with this dude  
Complete with how many kids they’ll adopt

 **me: (sent 21.08)**  
y are u lot harASSing me!!  
ur not my friends

 **Sunshine: (sent 21.09)**  
you always say that  
not very convincing when you’re spamming us with cat photos every other hour

 **me: (sent 21.15)**  
the cats are my friends  
not u

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 21.15)**  
Then spam the bloody cats

  
  


***

  
  


Soonyoung blinks, going a bit cross-eyed at the iced latte hovering only centimeters from his nose. 

“Yours,” mumbles Wonwoo, staring down at him expectantly until he accepts the drink meekly. Before he can will his mouth to form the appropriate words of gratitude, the other’s moved on, trudging over to Rob and planting an Americano on the worktop next to the student. 

Robs beams at him, piping in with a loud “Thank you, Wonwoo!”

Wonwoo’s lips curl into a small smile before his features settle into the usual look of apathy, and it grates on his nerves as usual, watching the way the other man always puts up his walls as soon as he realises he’s getting a bit too comfortable around them. The last two weeks of being stuck together in the small office (slowly losing their sanity together while scrolling through pages and pages of search results on their computer screens) has added bits and pieces to the puzzle that is Wonwoo Jeon. 

Rather than the image of snooty Oxford postgrad he’d projected during their first meeting, or the reserved, socially inept scholar he’s been presenting himself as since, he’s managed to catch snippets of the man underneath the boring plaid shirts and wiry glasses. The man who went all the way to South Korea to meet his favourite idol, the man who melted when he saw one of the cat gifs Soonyoung was cooing over the other day, the man who buys them coffee every morning under the pretense of “You guys are completely useless without the daily dose of caffeine, so I’m really just doing myself a favour here”. 

Which explains why, to some extent, Soonyoung’s brain-to-mouth filter malfunctions and he blurts out, “You should smile more, it’s nice.”

A choking sound come from somewhere to his right, no doubt poor Rob having chosen the wrong moment to take a sip of his coffee, and Soonyoung watches with dawning apprehension as Wonwoo freezes, eyes widening comically once his words properly register. 

“I-I mean, j-just that, you know, smiling is good for you,” he stammers, suddenly feeling very hot. “G-good for your soul, I mean. It’s soul food.”

_Shut. The. Fuck. Up!!_

The room goes very quiet for a few minutes, aside from a gurgling noise coming from Rob. If Soonyoung hadn’t been dying from mortification, he might have spared him some concern. But as it is, Wonwoo’s still staring at him with an expression of complete befuddlement and Soonyoung’s pretty sure he’s going to use his word vomit against him somehow in the near future. 

But to his amazement, the other man doesn’t use the extremely well-presented opportunity to ridicule him. 

“Oh, right.” Wonwoo scratches his nose, eyes darting over to look at Rob who’s now sniggering quietly into his drink, before flicking his eyes back to Soonyoung. Then, much to his amazement, a smile spreads across those sharp features, until Soonyoung is almost blinded by the flash of white teeth. “Thanks,” he says, gaze dropping almost bashfully. 

And just like that, the interest that’s been lurking in the back of his mind, disguised cleverly as puzzled curiosity, blooms into a massive, mushy, sickening crush. 

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 17.40)**  
okay, so he IS kinda cute  
his smile  
fUck  
his SMILE!!!  
what do i do now!!!  
T_T T_T_TT_T

 **Sunshine: (sent 17.42)**  
send us a pic  
need to see this smile

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 17.42)**  
Why are you being such a drama queen?  
If you like him, just ask him out  
This is the twenty-first century, come on!  
Grow a pair and take the leap  
Also, send a picture

 **me: (sent 17.45)**  
i cant take a freaking photo of him he already thinks im a weirdo  
btw kwan perhaps try and be a bit nicer next time u wanna ask for something  
just a tip

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 17.48)**  
What’s his name?

 **Sunshine: (sent 17.50)**  
just pretend you’re taking a selfie and get him in the frame !!!

 **me: (sent 17.56)**  
wonwoo jeon  
why  
and no seokmin

 **Sunshine: (sent 17.56)**  
you need to get creative  
besides, then you’ll have a photo of him on your phone  
; ))  
for those nights you get a bit lonely ; )) ; P

 **me: (sent 17.57)**  
SEOKMIN LEE  
PLS BLEACH UR DIRTY MIND ASAP!!!!!!

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.07)**  
Okay, wow  
He IS really hot

 **me: (sent 18.07)**  
?????  
what

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.08)**  
I found him on facebook  
Not many Wonwoo Jeon’s in the uk  
In fact, it’s just him

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.09)**  
!!!!!  
imma check him out right now

 **me: (sent 18.11)**  
u guys are the worst!

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.11)**  
d’aww you love us anyway  
OMG, he is gorgeous !!!  
well done you

 **me: (sent 18.12)**  
i need new friends

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 18.12)**  
Sure  
Do us a favour and find some new friends

 **Sunshine: (sent 18.20)**  
btw are we still on for dinner and movie tomorrow night ??

 **me: (sent 18.22)**  
yup c u guys at 7!

  
  


***

  
  


The thing about having a humongous crush (at the age of twenty-six no less) on a work colleague is that almost immediately you start to dread and anticipate going to work in equal measures, which manifests in hours of sleep lost to tossing and turning in bed. And it’s never a good way to start the day when one’s only managed three hours of sleep, eyebags the size of the Antarctic only adding to the morose image he paints in the mirror. He tries his best to style his hair, but it’s limp and uncooperative, and he’s woken up late, so he doesn’t have enough time to wash his hair. So, in the end, when he shuffles into work, he looks like death warmed over and it’s apparent in the way Wonwoo’s mouth drops open slightly at the sight of him. 

Not exactly the impression he’d been hoping to make on his crush. 

“Are you sick?” Rob asks worriedly.

Soonyoung shakes his head, not trusting his voice to come out right when it feels like he’s got a tennis ball wedged down his throat. 

“You look a bit sick,” Wonwoo says, brows furrowing. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

With a sigh, Soonyoung slumps into his usual seat, switching on the computer and resigning himself to another long day of skimming over papers while trying not to wibble in the face of his new-found attraction to his co-worker. 

“I’m fine,” he croaks out, wincing at how pathetic he sounds. Maybe he really is coming down with something. Maybe he really should go home and straight to bed. 

“Here.” Wonwoo pushes an iced latte down the desk towards him, eyes still fixed on him in concern. “Maybe this’ll pick you up a little.”

The smile he aims at the other researcher is probably the most genuine one he’s offered him so far. “Thanks, man. You’re a life-saver.”

If he’d been paying attention, he would have noticed the way Wonwoo’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and the way his nose crinkled in a pleased smile. But sadly, the only thing Soonyoung has the energy to focus on for the time being is staying upright and keeping his eyes open. 

He’s still sipping on the cold drink, eyes blankly fixed on the white glare of the monitor when someone taps him on the shoulder. Lethargically, he tilts his head to see Wonwoo peering at him, holding something in his line of vision. A quick glance shows a pack of paracetamol and bar of Cadbury’s chocolate, his absolute favourite (he remembers gushing about it to the guys only a few days ago). He distantly wonders when the other man had slipped off to purchase the small gift, heart skipping a beat at the kind gesture. 

“Honestly, I think you should call it a day and go home.” Wonwoo pushes a glass of water into his hand, prompting him to take the medicine. Rob hums his assent somewhere in the background.

Soonyoung takes the water and the chocolate bar graciously but returns the tablets to Wonwoo. “I’m not sick, really. I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Oh. Why?”

 _Because I’ve gone and done the one thing I shouldn’t have_ , his brain wails plaintively, but he’s not sure how the others would respond to such dramatics, so he just shrugs. “It was too hot last night.” Which is partly true, but not really, since he has a handy fan next to the bed to sleep through some of the muggy nights leading up to the summer. 

“Tell me about it,” grumbles Wonwoo, looking somewhat appeased by his reasons. “You should stick a hot-water bottle in the freezer and then put it under your pillow. It works a treat.”

For some reason, the image of the bookish man sleeping while cuddling a _cold_ hot-water bottle is too cute for his tired brain to compute, and he ends up reaching over to pat Wonwoo adoringly on his head. “You’re so precious sometimes.”

Rob giggles at that while Wonwoo gawks at him, mouth opening and closing a few times before he wisely decides to scoot down to his computer and ignore Soonyoung for the rest of the day. At least up until Professor Blake comes knocking on the door, takes one look at Soonyoung and sends him home immediately with a gentle metaphorical slap to his wrist. Just before he leaves, he catches the look of relief that settles onto Wonwoo’s features.

He’s not sure what to make of it. 

  
  


***

  
  


By the time they’re past the one month mark, they’ve managed to collect enough literature between them to proceed to the next phase of the project - reviewing the literature (the bit Soonyoung hates the most because it means hours and hours of reading through blocks and blocks of text until everything just merges into one big white blur) - and Professor Blake calls them in for a video conference call with the rest of the team for a quick update. Professor Choi proposes a deadline in two weeks for them to submit all the collated information to the write-up team, which while reasonable, still means they have a to pick up their pace. And unfortunately, with the lead up to the exam period, Rob apologetically takes his leave after the first week for some much needed exam preparation. 

This leaves Soonyoung stranded in their office with Wonwoo for a whole week, poring over papers for long hours in order to meet their deadline. 

He’s usually a quick reader, able to skim over papers and pick out all the relevant details before most people could even read past the introduction of a paper, but Wonwoo’s stoic presence next to him is supremely distracting and he finds himself reading the same paragraph for the tenth time in a row without taking anything in before he throws the blasted article away with a frustrated groan.

“My brain’s saturated,” he rushes to explain when the other looks over in concern. He doesn’t add _what_ it’s saturated with because he’s fairly certain Wonwoo wouldn’t want to know how he’s been carefully memorising the length of Wonwoo’s slim fingers and dreamily imagining how they would feel wrapped around his– 

Nope, best to keep those thoughts to himself. 

He clears his throat loudly, hoping it would distract the other man from the red blooming across his cheeks. “We should call it a day.”

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow, lips thinning into an unimpressed line. “It’s only been an _hour_.”

Soonyoung cringes inwardly. “Yes, well, we don’t have to be here in person for this, right?” He starts gathering the pile of papers he’d printed earlier along with the highlighters scattered across his workspace, stuffing them messily into his backpack while Wonwoo looked on with a perplexed frown. “I can easily do this at home, so I think I’ll just head home today and try to get some work done after taking a short break. Might help me focus a bit more.”

The quicker he gets away from Wonwoo’s presence (how does he smell so _good_?), the better his brain cells will function. 

“But the whole point of us meeting up is so that we can discuss our findings.” Wonwoo protests, adjusting his glasses huffily. He reaches over to grab Soonyoung’s t-shirt when he stands up to leave. “What if I disagree with the points you include in your discussion, or vice versa? Then we’ll have to review everything again before submission.”

The second Wonwoo’s slim fingers brushed against his hip, he’d stopped processing the words that came out of his mouth, which leaves him gaping at Wonwoo with a blank look on his face until the other man tugs on his shirt in frustration. “What?”

“Stop behaving like a moron and just sit down.”

Soonyoung frowns, balking at the insult as usual. “You’re the moron here. We live in the digital age, Wonwoo. If you want to have a discussion, use your phone.”

“I don’t have your number.”

“Oh, yeah.” He regrets opening his big fat mouth now, because the thought of exchanging phone numbers with Wonwoo is doing all kinds of funny things to his insides like a flustered adolescent. He’s not sure how responsible he can be with how he uses Wonwoo’s number, but now that he’s brought it up, it certainly would be rude to refuse. “Here, let me give you a missed call. What’s your number?”

For some reason, Wonwoo stutters through it, looking equally perturbed. It only makes him feel slightly better as he rushes out of the room only seconds later. 

  
  


***

  
  


**wonu: (sent 14.16)**  
hello  
it’s me, wonwoo

 **me: (sent 14.17)**  
i know  
i have ur number saved dude

 **wonu: (sent 14.17)**  
of course

 **me: (sent 14.20)**  
so?  
what is it??

 **wonu: (sent 14.21)**  
i don’t like this  
it’s such a stilted way of communicating

 **me: (sent 14.22)**  
geez stop whining  
whats up??

 **wonu: (sent 14.23)**  
i wanted to ask if you’re reviewing the paper by Son et al.  
the one on gender differences in job recruitment in the sk health sector

 **me: (sent 14.24)**  
yeah ive done it already

 **wonu: (sent 14.27)**  
oh, sure  
you left it behind  
so i wasn’t sure if you wanted me to review it or whether you’d already done it  
but i remember you talking about it yesterday

 **me: (sent 14.29)**  
no worries dude  
all done 

**wonu: (sent 14.32)**  
alright then  
have a good day

 **me: (sent 14.32)**  
( ^_^) u 2

  
  


***

  
  


“I’m staying over this weekend.”

They’d both been making notes quietly for the past hour, so the sudden statement startles him, making him lose his grip on his pen and they both watch it roll off the table with a loud clutter. 

Finally giving in to Wonwoo’s whining over how WhatsApp messages were inefficient for important discussions and “I really need you to take this seriously, please”, he’s finally come out of the comfort of his flat to join Wonwoo in their makeshift office. 

His hopes of his ridiculous crush snuffing out or at least fading a bit over the few days he’d spent hiding away were sadly dashed when he’d set eyes on Wonwoo in the morning. Rather than his usual affair of plaid shirts over baggy jeans, today he’s wearing a soft-looking light blue hoodie over skinny jeans, thanks to the sudden drop in temperatures overnight, and the first thought that had crossed his mind had been how Wonwoo looked extremely cute and cuddly with his sweater paws. 

“What?”

Wonwoo’s staring at him over the rim of his coffee cup, an odd look in his eyes. “I’m not heading back to Oxford tomorrow, so I’ll be around this weekend.”

“Oh, okay.” Soonyoung’s not entirely sure what to make of this. As far as he knows, Wonwoo’s always driven back to Oxford for the weekends, sometimes even during weekdays after their sessions, only to drive back in the morning the next day. He remembers once asking him why he didn’t just stay in the city for the duration of their project, but then Wonwoo had shrugged and replied, “I sleep better in my own bed,” and that had been the end of that discussion. He’s often wondered if Wonwoo’s so adamant on returning home because he had a girlfriend (or boyfriend) waiting for him in Oxford, but he’s never worked up the courage to ask the question. 

So, it’s a bit strange for Wonwoo to be staying over, even more so for him to be telling Soonyoung. What does he want him to do with that information?

“How come?”

Wonwoo bites his lip, eyes flicking away. “Well, with the deadline being tomorrow, I just have a feeling I’m going to be a bit too tired to drive home afterwards. And we have that meeting on Monday.” He keeps his eyes fixed on the coffee cup in his hands, fiddling with the lid, prying it off before pressing it down once again. Soonyoung raises an eyebrow, curious. He seems almost nervous. “Besides, I just thought it was about time I explored the place a little bit.”

“Right,” Soonyoung mutters, unconvinced. 

Wonwoo looks up, locking eyes with him before hastily glancing away again. “So, are you free this weekend?”

“What?”

He’s met with an impatient huff. “Are you free? This weekend?”

Soonyoung gawks at the other man. “Why?”

“Well, I just thought you might be able to show me around.”

He has to pinch himself to make sure he’s awake, that he’s not in the middle of one of his recurring dreams where Wonwoo wines and dines him until he’s left swooning in his arms by the end of it. 

Nope. Wonwoo’s still staring at him expectantly. 

It takes every ounce of self-restraint to keep his face blank and not squeal at Wonwoo like a kid in a sweet shop. “Sure, if you want.”

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 22.24)**  
im in trouble

 **Sunshine: (sent 22.24)**  
oh no !!  
what kind of trouble ??  
do we need to bail you out of prison ?!

 **me: (sent 22.25)**  
shut up  
wonu wants me to show him around  
tomorrow  
and i said yes  
FUCk

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 22.26)**  
So you’re going on a date

 **me: (sent 22.26)**  
ITS NOT A DATE!!  
SHUT UP

 **Sunshine: (sent 22.27)**  
do you want me to tag along ??  
I’m free tomorrow : D

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 22.27)**  
That’s a great idea!

 **me: (sent 22.28)**  
NO WAY IN HELL  
y do i even talk to u guys

 **Sunshine: (sent 22.29)**  
because you love us !!  
and we love you !!

 **me: (sent 22.29)**  
dawww  
but no ur not coming

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 22.30)**  
You’re not the boss of us

 **me: (sent 22.32)**  
pls i beg u

  
  


***

  
  


It takes him an inordinate amount of time to get ready before his outing (NOT a date) with Wonwoo. He goes through at least five outfit changes before he settles on his favourite pair of skinny jeans with a belt fastened around his upper thigh and a simple grey t-shirt, which he leaves half untucked. After spending a good quarter of an hour messing with his hair, he eventually gives up, scowling at the mirror before splashing on a bit of cologne and rushing out of the flat. He spends the twenty minute drive into the city centre doing breathing exercises to try and calm the rapid fluttering of his heart, palms sweaty on the wheel. 

It’s ridiculous.

He’s spent hours and hours with Wonwoo in a closed room, just the two of them, and yet the thought of spending a few hours outside with the same person, in the presence of other people, has reduced him to a blubbering nervous wreck. 

_It’ll be fine, it’s just two friends chilling out together_ , he tells himself for the umpteenth time as he weaves in and out of the crowd in his search for Wonwoo. 

“Soonyoung, over here.”

He nearly swallows his tongue when he finally spots him. 

Wonwoo looks nice. _Very _nice, in fact, in a pair of pressed black trousers and a blood red shirt that makes his complexion almost glow. And the bastard has foregone his glasses today, and actually made an effort to brush his hair. The small smile on his face almost sends Soonyoung face-planting on the tarmac as he hurries over to him.__

____

____

_This is such a bad idea._

“Hey, you’re early.” Soonyoung focuses his gaze in the vicinity of Wonwoo’s shoulder so that he doesn’t have to stare at the perfect jawline and sharp eyes at close proximity.

Wonwoo scoffs. “You’re ten minutes late.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Soonyoung mutters sheepishly. “Couldn’t find parking.” Besides, he did spend an _inordinate_ amount of time getting ready. Something which Wonwoo has certainly noticed if going by the appraising look he’s currently giving him. A slow flush works its way up his neck at the attention, and he quickly clears his throat before turning away and gesturing at Wonwoo to follow. “Come on, let’s head to the harbour. That’s one of the best sights to see, and you can buy me some ice-cream when we get there.”

“Sure.” Soonyoung falters at how easily the other agrees, nearly stumbling over his own feet when Wonwoo grabs his arm and pulls him along. “Come on, let’s see what’s so great about this harbour then.”

The warmth of his hand against his skin sends Soonyoung’s temperature spiking, and he spends the next few minutes wondering how he’s going to survive the rest of the day with his dignity intact. 

  
  


***

  
  


Despite his (rather weak) protests, Wonwoo pays for their late lunch at the local seafood restaurant and Soonyoung feels only slightly guilty at having gorged on two lobsters. He chooses to ignore how the whole day is panning out very much like a date, especially when Wonwoo buys him ice-cream later as they stroll along the pier, admiring the sparkling waters. The other man is not much of a conversationalist, but that’s fine because Soonyoung talks enough for two people on a good day, and even more when he’s nervous. So by the time they wander back to the high street, he’s regaled Wonwoo about most of his life - how his family moved to Britain when he was only just a year old, how he’d wanted to become an astronaut through most of his childhood until he realised how much mathematics was involved, how he’d visited Seoul in his third year of university and completely fallen in love with the place, how one day in the future he would like to go back and work in South Korea. 

“What about you?” he asks as they find a table at the local _Starbucks_ , each carrying a large mug of coffee. 

“What _about_ me?”

Soonyoung rolls his eyes, leaning over to playfully flick Wonwoo on the forehead. “I’ve been talking non-stop for the past two hours. Give me a break here.”

Wonwoo chuckles, rubbing at his forehead looking much too pleased with himself. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything, everything.” He leans forward, propping his chin on his hand and staring intently at Wonwoo. To his delight, Wonwoo turns a slight pink under the scrutiny. “The only thing I know about you is that you’re an Oxford graduate, you’re doing a PhD on Korean politics, you love coffee, and you’ve got a bit of a stick up your ass.” 

The other man scowls. “I don’t, that’s just your perception of me.”

“Oh yeah? Prove me wrong then.”

Wonwoo narrows his eyes at this, his gaze on Soonyoung lingering and heavy. “I’m not sure whether you’d be able to handle it.” His usual baritone is even lower as he quietly murmurs these words, sending a delicious shiver rippling down Soonyoung’s spine. 

This is crossing into dangerous territory and he panics a little, not wanting to make a complete fool of himself in front of his work colleague by inadvertently flirting with him. That would certainly make sharing a workplace rather awkward over the remainder of their research project. 

“Were you born here?” he asks, desperately trying to direct the conversation onto a safer topic. 

Wonwoo blinks, looking a bit bemused for a moment. Then he nods. “Yeah, so was my dad. He met my mother at some conference in Seoul and the rest is history.”

“Oh. Have you been to Seoul?” he asks, curious. 

“I used to visit once every year with my parents, mainly to visit my mother’s family, but I haven’t been for the past five years.” Wonwoo shrugs, running a hand through his hair absentmindedly, completely unaware of how the simple action sends Soonyoung’s pulse into overdrive. “I like it over there, but I always feel a bit of an outsider during the visits.”

It surprises Soonyoung how candid the other is being with him, especially since he’s observed over the weeks how closely Wonwoo keeps his cards to the chest. “I kinda felt like that too, but then again, I don’t particularly feel like I fit in here either.”

“Same.” Wonwoo laughs, and the sound is so new and charming, it catches him off guard. “What?” Wonwoo asks when he gives him a wide-eyed look. 

“No, it’s just…I’ve never seen you so relaxed before,” he says quietly. 

This was perhaps the wrong thing to say, because Wonwoo immediately stiffens, the walls coming back up much to his dismay. Wonwoo shifts awkwardly in his seat and spends a while sipping on his coffee before he replies, “Yes well, that’s ‘cause we’re usually at work. And I like to keep to a certain standard of professionalism at work.”

On some level, he knows he’s being silly and reading too much into a harmless statement, but on the other hand, the way Wonwoo sounds when he says it – all huffy and haughty – leaves his feathers ruffled the wrong way. “And I _don’t_?”

Wonwoo snorts. “You’re always late, in fact you didn’t even show up for most of last week. And you’re always chatting with Rob when we should be working. So, no, I can’t say you’re all that professional at work, but I guess just as Prof Blake said, you get the work done, and that’s what counts.”

Right. Of course. His humongous crush on Wonwoo seems to have blinded him for most of the past few weeks to the man’s infuriating superiority complex. 

“Oh, I’m so _pleased_ to have the approval of the God of Professionalism,” he says sarcastically, downing the rest of the coffee and standing up. Wonwoo frowns, looking a bit confused by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. “And since we’re on the topic of professionalism, perhaps it’s not all that professional to be fraternising with your colleague outside working hours, especially when we’re still working on a project together. So, let’s call it a day, shall we?”

And before Wonwoo could say another word, he flounces off, fuming all the way back to his flat.

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 19.07)**  
have i told u guys how fucking irritating wonwoo fucking jeon is!!  
i waste my entire saturday showing him around the city  
my ENTIRE saturday  
and he was being a perfect gentleman throughout honestly  
so perfect  
until he had to go and ruin it with his fucking snobby attitude  
and call me unprofessional  
to my FACE  
GODAMMIT!!  
im so fucking conflicted  
i honestly dont know whether to suck his dick or just chop it off and make him choke on it  
hELP!!!!  


**wonu: (sent 19.13)**  
soonyoung  
i wonder if you messaged me by accident 

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 19.14)**  
ASDKHSKFGKLGKDF  
I JUST FUCKIN SENT WONU A MSG I MEANT TO SEND U GUYS  
I SAID I WANT TO SUCK HIS DICK  
IN THE MSG  
IM FUCKING DOOMED  
KILL ME PLS

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 19.15)**  
Wait, let me get some popcorn

 **Sunshine: (sent 19.15)**  
OMG !!  
that’s a bit of a blunder

 **me: (sent 19.16)**  
A BIT OF A BLUNDER?!  
AND FUCK U SEUNGKWAN!!  
IM IN DISTRESS HERE

 **Sunshine: (sent 19.17)**  
can’t you delete the messages ??

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 19.17)**  
You never fail me  
Always providing the entertainment

 **me: (sent 19.18)**  
NO I CANT DELEET  
HES ALREADY SEEN IT  
AND REPLIED!!!!

 **Sunshine: (sent 19.19)**  
well, shit !!

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 19.20)**  
Just pretend you were drunk  
Are you drunk?

 **me: (sent 19.21)**  
NO IM NOT  
hows that gonna help  
even if im drunk i shouldnt be thinking of his dick  
OH MY GOd  
what do i do on monday  
we have an important meeting with the team  
hes gonna be there

 **Sunshine: (sent 19.22)**  
he might forget it by then

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 19.22)**  
Yeah, no chance  
Just own up to it  
Tell him you want the D  
He might be amenable  
He did ask you out after all

 **me: (sent 19.23)**  
Fuck U

 **Sunshine: (sent 19.23)**  
good luck !!

  
  


***

  
  


He considers calling in sick. 

He even spends a while yelling into his pillow to make his voice sound hoarse so that he’ll sound authentic when he calls Professor Blake, pretending he’s down with the flu. Never mind that flu season is over. 

But then, he’s pretty sure his weird but highly intelligent supervisor won’t be fooled by his little act (based on past experiences) and it would only attract more attention and questions from him. Questions that he doesn’t particularly want to answer at the moment, or ever. Plus, it would only prove Wonwoo right about his lack of professionalism. 

Oh _God_ , Wonwoo. 

Every few minutes or so, he’s reminded of the regretful barrage of messages he’d sent the other man by accident and he can’t help but curl up in embarrassment every single time. Of all the stupid things he’s done in his life, this probably tops it, and that’s including that one time in freshmen year when he’d broken into the dean’s office to spray-paint a dick pic on the wall as part of a dare. This is why his mother always tells him to keep a lid on his temper, because he always ends up doing something spectacularly stupid when he’s pissed off. Like text his fucking crush about how he’d like to suck his dick. He regrets not heeding his mother’s advice now. 

After another hour of nervous pacing, he finally decides to put a brave face on. Sure, he might have completely humiliated himself in front of Wonwoo and possibly fucked up any of his chances with the man, but at least he’s pretty sure Wonwoo’s not the type to go blabbing about it to other people. So, the chances of any of the others finding out about his epic fail is minimal. If he’s clever about it, ignoring and escaping Wonwoo’s presence won’t be difficult. And the chances are, the other man is probably even more embarrassed than he is. 

Perhaps he should do what Seokmin had suggested. Delete the messages and then pretend he’d never sent them. Make Wonwoo think he’d hallucinated them. 

_Stop procrastinating and just go to work_ , his internal voice yells at him as the clock ticks away. 

Once again, he’s late to the meeting, but this time it’s on purpose, in order to avoid any awkward confrontations with Wonwoo before the meeting. When he slinks into the conference room, the video call is underway and Professor Choi politely greets him when she catches sight of him sinking into the seat next to Rob. Professor Blake shakes his head amicably, but doesn’t say anything else to acknowledge him, engaged in a discussion with Professor Choi in rapid-fire Korean. Wonwoo’s sitting on his other side, and Soonyoung feels his gaze on him the moment he sits down, which he resolutely ignores despite the prominent flush crawling up his neck. 

“Boys,” Professor Choi says suddenly, directing her attention to the three of them. “Well done! I really appreciate your hard work. It was to a very high standard as promised.”

Soonyoung murmurs his thanks with the rest of them, head still bowed, unable to fully bask under the compliment. 

“We’ve sent everything to the write-up team. They’ll get in touch with you directly if they need to clarify anything, or if they need more material. Of course, once they’re done, they’ll send the draft to you for a once-over.” Professor Choi smiles at them warmly before turning to Professor Blake once again, finalising the next deadline and arranging their next meeting. 

As soon as the call ends, Soonyoung hurries out of his seat, nearly diving towards the door in his mad scramble to escape. 

“Woah, what’s the hurry, dude?” calls Rob with an amused chuckle when Soonyoung collides face-first into the door in his attempt to push a door that's meant to be pulled open. 

Professor Blake shuffles over with an amused quirk to his lips and pulls the door open for him, eyes questioning. Soonyoung ducks his head, not up for a grilling by his nosy supervisor, who’ll never let him live it down if he ever found out about the ridiculous situation, especially after Soonyoung had scoffed at his attempts to play match-maker only to go and develop a ginormous crush on the very guy he’d be trying to set him up with. 

“Soonyoung–“ Wonwoo starts to say and he feels a sudden swooping sensation in his stomach. 

“I need to pee!” he yelps, sprinting down the corridor and disappearing down the stairs. 

Avoidance might be a short-term solution, but at least it gives him some time to come up with a proper excuse for when he eventually does have to face Wonwoo whenever the write-up team gets their job done.

  
  


***

  
  


When he gets home, he’s pleasantly surprised to see Seokmin and Seungkwan loitering by his front door, sharing a packet of crisps. 

“Finally!” Seungkwan huffs dramatically when he approaches them with a puzzled smile. He snatches the packets of crisps away from Soonyoung’s wandering hands and he pouts at his friend, who merely rolls his eyes and ignores the plea. “We’ve been waiting for nearly half an hour. Where’ve you been?”

“I don’t remember agreeing to meet up today.”

Seokmin drapes an arm across his shoulder, hugging him closely to his side and leaning his head against Soonyoung’s. “No, but we wanted to come by and check on how you’re doing.”

He feels a sudden lump in his throat. Seokmin and Seungkwan have been his friends since secondary school, and while they’re relentless when it comes to teasing him, they’re also the first to rush to his side when he’s feeling a bit down or fucked something up. 

“You guys are the best,” he mumbles, sniffling a little. Seokmin laughs at the wet sheen in his eyes and hugs him properly, and Soonyoung laps up the affection, burying himself in the other’s arms. 

“And yet you’re always threatening to ditch us and find new friends,” drawls Seungkwan dryly, joining in on the hug, completely enveloping Soonyoung between them.

“Never.”

Seungkwan snorts at his petulant tone, patting him on the bum twice before pulling away. He scans Soonyoung’s face, eyes a bit worried. “Everything okay at work?”

He sighs tiredly, a flash of Wonwoo’s grim frown popping into his head like an unwelcome guest. Given how stubborn the other man is, he’s fairly sure Wonwoo’s going to corner him at some point to have a discussion about ‘professionalism’ and ‘proper texting etiquette’. There’s already a missed call from him on his phone, and he’s resolutely ignoring it. “Yeah, I guess. Come on, let’s go get something to drink. I can’t be sober for this.”

“It’s lunch time!” Seokmin exclaims. 

“Who cares?”

“Well, I do,” says Seungkwan primly. “I have to get back to work in an hour.”

Soonyoung pouts. 

His friends exchange a look before letting out identical exasperated sighs. “Fine, let’s get you a drink.”

“Drinks!”

“Sure, loser.”

  
  


***

  
  


They head to one of the nearby pubs and lunch turns into a full-on moping session, with him taking it in turns to bemoan his fate and curse Wonwoo while also gushing over his cute nose crinkle and pretty eyes. His friends dig into their food, humming at intervals and enthusiastically dissing his workmate despite having never met him. He demolishes one pint of beer in record time, the alcohol already going to his head and he sips on his next pint at a more sedate pace. Even so, by the time Seungkwan drops him off at his flat, telling him to drink lots of water before driving off in a rush, Soonyoung’s feeling rather buzzed. Which is how he ends up getting off on the wrong floor, struggling to unlock the front door clumsily until a girl opens the door abruptly and directs him back to his floor with an unimpressed look. 

So, he’s not in any way prepared for what greets him at his front door when he eventually stumbles his way to the flat. 

“Soonyoung.”

Alarmed, he drops his keys, eyes going wide when Wonwoo straightens up from where he’d been leaning against the wall. “Shit. Fucking _shit!_ ”

Wonwoo bends over to pluck his keys off the floor, standing up with a furrow between his brows. He offers them to Soonyoung silently, eyes boring into his until Soonyoung breaks the eye contact with an awkward cough, snatching the keys away and shuffling past him to get to his front door. After a few failed attempts, he finally manages to unlock his front door, the whole time all too aware of Wonwoo’s looming silent presence behind him. His brain’s desperately trying to process the sudden turn of events, and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, “How’d you know where I live?”

“I asked Prof Blake.”

Soonyoung resolves to upload that one picture of Professor Blake drunkenly pole-dancing during one of their department socials a few years ago onto Facebook. 

“What’d you want?” He tries to casually lean against the doorway, turning to face Wonwoo, but misjudges the distance and nearly falls over backwards. A pair of arms grab his shoulders firmly, and all of a sudden Wonwoo’s far too close for comfort and Soonyoung has to close his eyes to steady his heart. 

“Are you…are you _drunk_?” asks Wonwoo, incredulous. 

The clear tone of judgement has his hackles rising immediately, and Soonyoung pushes him away with a scowl. “No, I’m not!” he lies through his teeth. “ _God_ , did you come all the way to my flat because you couldn’t fulfil your daily requirement of judging me?”

“No, of course not.” Wonwoo’s frown deepens. “I just wanted to talk.”

“Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now.” He can feel the pleasant buzz of alcohol rapidly slipping away and he’s far from pleased by it. He had been planning to spend a good few hours chilling out on the couch, catching up on the new _Luke Cage_ episodes, but now he’s too irritated to focus on anything. Perhaps he should head to the gym instead. 

“Wait, Soonyoung.” Soonyoung glares at the hand on his arm until Wonwoo snatches it back with a grimace. “Sorry, I know I should have called before just turning up like this, well I _did_ call, actually, you just didn’t pick up.” He shuts up when Soonyoung sighs loudly. 

“Whatever. What is it?”

Wonwoo looks behind him at the empty corridor, then fidgets a bit on the spot. “Could I come in?”

“No.”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, then shrugs. “Fine, have it your way. I’ll just cut to the chase because you’re acting childish and it’s starting to get on my nerves.”

He bristles. “ _You’re_ the one who’s turned up at my door like some weird stalker!” He realises a bit belatedly how loudly he’s spoken when one of his neighbours sticks their head out of their flat and gives him a curious look. Embarrassed, he gives him a hasty thumbs-up and grabs Wonwoo, dragging him into his flat unceremoniously. Once they’re in his living room, he collapses on his couch rubs at his eyes tiredly. When he finally looks up, Wonwoo’s awkwardly hovering by the couch, arms crossed across his chest. 

“Look, if this is about that text–“ he starts, just wanting to get it over with. 

“I’d like to apologise for my behaviour on Saturday.” 

Soonyoung blinks, startled by the sudden interruption. 

“…what?”

Wonwoo clears his throat looking a bit uncomfortable, but he resolutely keeps his gaze fixed on Soonyoung’s face. “I was really rude to you and I’m sorry about that. I just…tend to always say the wrong thing when I’m nervous.”

Soonyoung gapes at him, slightly wrong-footed. “But you’re rude to me all the time.”

Wonwoo flushes a dark red at this, averting his gaze. He mumbles something that Soonyoung doesn’t catch.

“What?”

Wonwoo looks up at the ceiling, seemingly composing himself before meeting his eyes once again. “I _said_ you make me nervous all the time.”

He wonders if he’s actually a bit more drunk than he’d thought and whether this whole surreal experience is just an elaborate hallucination thanks to the alcohol poisoning his blood. Dazedly, he pinches himself and winces at the pain, but Wonwoo’s still staring at him quietly when he looks over. “But _why_?”

Instead of answering his question, Wonwoo tilts his head and asks, “Your message, what did it mean?”

 _Oh shit_. He should have known better than to let his guard down. 

“What do you mean?” Perhaps if he plays dumb, the other would get bored and move on. 

“You said you wanted to suck my, er, well, my–“

“Oh my _god_ , please shut up!” Soonyoung squeaks, burying his face in his hands, ears burning. His only consolation is how embarrassed Wonwoo seems by the whole situation as well. “Why are you bringing this up? We should just pretend you never saw that message. It’s better for all of our sanity, trust me.”

Wonwoo gets a stubborn glint in his eye and he clenches his jaw. “I don’t want to.”

“Fuck!” Soonyoung swear emphatically, a slight headache building up behind his eyes. “Why are you always so freaking difficult?”

The next thing he knows, Wonwoo’s crouched in front of him, dragging his hands away from his face and peering into his eyes intently. He jerks back at the contact and the sudden proximity, gulping nervously when Wonwoo’s eyes track down his face to settle on his lips. He doesn’t miss the way the other’s eyes darken, lips parting slightly. 

“I don’t want to because I’d like to know if you really meant it,” murmurs Wonwoo, hands tightening around Soonyoung’s fingers. He leans in a bit closer and Soonyoung holds his breath, heart thudding restlessly in his chest. “I kind of want you to mean it.”

It’s all a bit too much for him and Soonyoung laughs slightly hysterically, startling Wonwoo, who draws back a little bit. “Wait, so you _want_ me to suck your dick?”

Wonwoo flinches. “No! I mean, that’s not what I’m trying to say, I, _dammit!_ Why is this so hard?” The look of utter frustration on his face makes Soonyoung feel a bit sorry for him, and he squeezes Wonwoo’s hands gently, urging him to slow down and collect his thoughts. 

At least he’s no longer feeling so mortified by the whole situation since Wonwoo’s obviously not disgusted by the suggestion. It sends a sharp spike of excitement through his stomach and he surges forward, bolstered by the way Wonwoo keeps looking at his lips every so often. “I really wouldn’t mind,” he murmurs, lowering his voice as he inches towards Wonwoo, who licks his lips once before meeting his eyes. “I mean, I do kinda fancy you, _a lot_.”

So, maybe he _is_ still a little tipsy. 

Wonwoo sucks in a sharp breath. “Well, fuck.”

Then he closes the small gap between then, pressing his lips insistently against Soonyoung’s, fingers burying into his hair and cupping his face gently. Soonyoung returns it just as enthusiastically, nipping at Wonwoo’s lips and sliding forward until his legs are wrapped around the other’s back, Wonwoo tucked comfortably into him until there’s no space left between them. He tugs on Wonwoo’s hair a bit, angling their faces until the slide of their lips is smoother, licking into Wonwoo’s mouth when he parts his lips with a gasp. When Wonwoo pulls away, lips bitten red and slick with spit, panting slightly, Soonyoung leans over to press a chaste kiss to his cheek, some lingering disbelief still lurking in the back of his mind. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asks tentatively, playing with Wonwoo’s hair and watching his lips quirk in a small smile. 

“Well, I _did_ ask you out.”

Soonyoung frowns. “When?”

“What do you mean? Our date, on Saturday.” Wonwoo gives him a perplexed look.

“Oh.” So, his friends _were_ right. 

“Wait, what’d you think that was?” Wonwoo’s starting to look a bit amused, a bit smug. 

He shoves his face away, crossing his arms huffily when Wonwoo starts to snigger. “You didn’t say it was a date! I thought we were just hanging out.”

“Like bros?” Wonwoo smirks. 

Soonyoung groans, clapping a hand over his eyes. “You’re going to be insufferable now, aren’t you?”

A peck lands on his lips and he peers through his fingers at Wonwoo smiling affectionately at him. It leaves him feeling very warm inside. “I’ll try to be better.”

“God, you really are _so_ cute!” He hauls Wonwoo up onto the couch until the other man’s settled over him like a blanket, arms wrapped around each other. “You’re fine, just the way you are.”

“Really?” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow, unconvinced. “You were complaining about me being too snobby to your friends just two days ago.”

“Yeah, well, I was also talking about how I’d like to blow you and choke you,” he informs Wonwoo, who makes a slight gurgling noise. “The offer’s still on the table, by the way.”

Wonwoo chuckles. “Maybe another time.”

“Oh, okay then, Mr Gentleman.”

The other hums, snuggling into Soonyoung’s arms and falling quiet. He runs his fingers through Wonwoo’s hair, still amazed at how he’s gone from running away at the mere sight of Wonwoo to cuddling with the man on his couch in a matter of hours. 

The one downside to this development is how smug Professor Blake is going to be once he finds out they’re dating. He’ll lord it over him forever. Maybe he could convince Wonwoo to carry on pretending nothing’s changed between them, but then again, with how much a stickler Wonwoo is for work etiquette, it’s highly unlikely he’ll behave any differently when they’re at work. 

“You lied. You _have_ been drinking,” Wonwoo says suddenly, sounding a bit affronted. 

Soonyoung pauses, caught off guard by the sudden statement. “Huh?”

Wonwoo leans back, meeting his eyes with a frown. “I can smell the alcohol on your breath.”

“I had a couple of beers with my friends, so what?” he replies with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. 

“It’s not even five in the evening!”

“Hey, I was distraught, okay!” He slaps Wonwoo’s shoulder indignantly. “I thought you thought I was some weird pervert.”

“Well, if you’d just been an adult about it and talked to me when I tried–“

“Wonwoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

  
  


***

  
  


**me: (sent 23.46)**  
ASFSKDFGKSGKLGKHJ  
GUESS WHAT!!

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.47)**  
What ?!

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 23.47)**  
This better be good  
You’re disturbing my beauty sleep

 **me: (sent 23.48)**  
ur beautiful as u are  
u dont need beauty sleep

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.48)**  
d’awww  
<3

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 23.49)**  
Now I’m suspicious  
Why are you being so nice?  
Why are you suddenly in such a good mood?

 **me: (sent 23.49)**  
fufufufufufufu

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.50)**  
don’t keep us in suspense !!  
please tell us !!

 **me: (sent 23.50)**  
guess whos just spent hours making out with a hot scholar?

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.51)**  
NO WAY !!!!

 **boo-tylicious: (sent 23.51)**  
Ah, so you and prof blake finally hooked up?

 **me: (sent 23.52)**  
WHAT?!!  
EW NOOOOO  
i meant wonu

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.52)**  
so are you guys officially a thing?

 **me: (sent 23.53)**  
YUP  
GOD HES SO SO CUTE!!!  
UWUWUWUWUWUWU

 **Sunshine: (sent 23.53)**  
yay !!!!  <3 <3 

**boo-tylicious: (sent 23.54)**  
Hooray!  
I’m happy for you  
Tell us all about it tomorrow  
We can meet up for drinks  
Now can I please go back to sleep?

 **me: (sent 23.55)**  
sure  
good night  
love u  
( ^3^)

***

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are much appreciated! they're a balm to my soul on stressful days.


End file.
